Shawn Hall After gaining some attention playing supporting characters in the late 1910s, Lon Chaney reached star status, appearing as a contortionist in 1919’s now lost, biggest box office hit The Miracle Man. With his newfound popularity amongst audiences, Chaney gave another physically demanding and memorable performance in the 1920s macabre gangster flick The Penalty.
Playing a double amputee gangster, Chaney strapped his legs behind his back and walked around with his knees in wooden buckets to bring his character to life. This bizarre, thrilling crime melodrama was voted #98 on Silent Era’s Top 100 Silent Movies List, which I’m reviewing as part of a weekly series sharing whether I agree with the film’s lofty ranking.
Blizzard carrying out his manical plans
The Penalty is an absolute joyride. It’s one of those films where the plot is so off-the-wall, you can’t help but admire its audacity. Right from the start, the film is flying a 100 miles an hour. Our main character, Blizzard, as a child, is struck by a car and ends up in the care of a young, inexperienced doctor who makes a life-altering mistake. Instead of treating the real issue of the child’s contusion at the base of his skull, Dr. Ferris amputates both of Blizzard’s legs at the knee. Years later, now slumlord of the San Francisco underworld, Blizzard hatches a disturbing plan for revenge.
The plan? First, befriend and romance the doctor’s daughter. Then use the relationship to manipulate the doctor into amputating his own legs and attaching them to Blizzard’s body. It’s a nonsensical scheme, but in the film’s unique charm absolutely works in its melodramatic excess.
A young Blizzard overhears the doctor’s mistake
The plot thickens when the Federal Secret Service uncovers Blizzard’s plan to incite mass riots across the city. They send in Rose, one of their top undercover agents, to infiltrate his gang. As Rose gets closer to Blizzard, the two fall in love. Why exactly? Well, simply because no over-the-top melodrama would be complete without a love story!
While the romance may sound corny, it works surprisingly well. It adds emotional tension and softens Blizzard just enough to make us wonder whether Rose can save him from his darker impulses.
Rose goes undercover and gains Blizzard’s respect and adoration
And if you think it can’t get any weirder, there is a recurring plot that Blizzard picks out the prettiest woman in his factory and forces them to lie on the floor and push the pedals as he plays the piano. (This is how he meets and falls in love with the undercover Rose.) It’s bizarre, surreal, and above all absolutely bananas; yet, it fits the unhinged world of The Penalty perfectly.
What makes this film work is the commitment from Lon Chaney and the rest of the cast. Chaney seizes every opportunity to chew the scenery in the best possible way. He plays Blizzard as maniacally evil, but never dips into cartoonishness. It’s a tightrope performance, and he understands the assignment in his first-ever starring role.
Blizzard takes part in his two favorite past-times: playing the piano and controlling people
Critics and audiences at the time rightly praised his work in The Penalty as the film laid the groundwork for his iconic roles in The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But here, he didn’t need layers of prosthetics or makeup to make an impression. All he needed to make a magnetic performance all his own was a couple of buckets.
If there’s one downside, it’s the ending. After a film packed with dark, macabre elements, The Penalty opts for an oddly optimistic, almost cheesy finale. While this may have been more acceptable to 1920 audiences, especially since the horror genre was still in its infancy, the ending feels like a bit of a cop-out compared to the tone of the rest of the film.
Still, The Penalty earns its place on the list of the top 100 silent films, and placing it toward the end of the list at #98 feels just right. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s an unforgettable proto-horror that foreshadowed the heights Chaney would reach over the next decade.
Check out my video review of Metropolis, complete with footage from the film.
The Penalty is in the public domain, and several high-quality HD versions are available on YouTube. If you’re a fan of early horror, gangster dramas, or just want to see Lon Chaney’s breakout star performance, this one is absolutely worth your time.
Next week, I’ll be revisiting one of my all-time favorites (I literally have the film’s poster hanging up in my TV room): F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.
Glad you enjoyed this one so much, Shawn. One of Lon’s best performances. It’s crazy what he physically put himself through during filming.
Maddy from Classic Film And TV Corner
At least he didn’t have to be caked in make-up for this role haha. Although walking on buckets does not look comfortable at all.